VOLVO Construction Equipment is celebrating after winning a Red Dot product design award for its L120 Electric wheel loader.
The manufacturer said the machine’s modern look was the result of a year of ‘bold thinking’ by technology and design teams from Jinan in China, and Eskilstuna and Gothenburg in Sweden.
Peter Reuterberg, senior chief advanced designer for Volvo CE, said, “I’m happy we won this award but I’m especially happy that we won it for this machine. The change from diesel to electric gave us the opportunity to think differently and strive for big impact. Our hope is that this new silhouette will be instantly recognisable as electric.”
The streamlined frame of the electric loader is made possible by the removal of a combustion engine. Volvo explained that if designers replaced the combustion engine with larger-in-size batteries, this would have not only created a ‘bulkier’ shape but would have also reduced visibility from the cab.
Instead, engineers and designers worked together on a more thoughtful solution and agreed to integrate the batteries into the counterweight of the machine. Volvo added that the heavy weight of a battery is often seen as a problem in electric machine design, but in this case, the battery is being used to replace a concrete counterweight required for wheel loaders.
Annie Gao, product platform engineer at the Jinan Technology Center, Volvo CE China, added, “When we debuted the machine it marked a significant breakthrough, truly capturing the spirit of an electric vehicle. It is our relentless pursuit of innovation, close attention to detail, and commitment to quality that made this possible.”
